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endless amounts of fun

I have been playing this game for a couple of years, and I am neither bored with it nor am I any closer to finishing it- it is truly a massive game and there's always new DLC to keep you occupied.

Gran Turismo is a classic racing series that has always prided itself on realism- outrun this is not! The realism is best experienced though a dedicated steering wheel and pedals, and some of the most expensive systems can run for a hundreds of pounds, but I have been having lots of fun with an older, cheaper logitech wheel.You can really feel the effort they have put into the game- not only do the cars feel noticably different to drive (from what I can gather than do actually 'feel' like their reel world equivalent) but tweaking and tuning them also dramatically changes how they handle- the tweaking in this game isn't just for aesthetics- you can actually set up a car to perform better on certain tracks.

the selection of cars is insane- from obvious supercars like the ferrari f430, to some rarer cars that will make car nuts happy.

The graphics are incredible, the car models beautiful. I won't go on about how long the game is but it does have infinite replay value as it never gets boring to race cars around circuits- so treat yourself to a copy of the game with a nice wheel and say goodbye to your weekends.

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A likeable racing game

At the time of writing this PS3 console game, this is within the top 10 titles on many game retailer websites. This game is playable in either 2D or 3D.

Gran Turismo 5IntroductionThis game is a driving simulation game. In my opinion it is an excellent game. I was fortunate enough to have this game included when buying the Sony PS3 console brand new from Argos.

Driving SimulationThe objective when playing this game is simply to win races.Game ModesThere are a number of game modes outside the online racing mode.GT mode encompasses the following-'A spec' are single player car type category races. The entry is based upon driving level.-'B spec' is multi player races where you have to create new drivers.-Special events include go carting, NASCAR, Top-Gear test track, AMG (Mercedes) driving academy, rally grand tour and Sebastien Loeb rally challenge.There is a design your own course which adds to the variety of game modes.There is also arcade modeAt each rally school the principal of the circuit does a talk before the event, which increases the interactivity of the game.

In short there are many different locations, normal race tracks and people can even get to see the apartment blocks around the race tracks whilst racing.GraphicsThe graphics on Gran Turismo 5 are exceptional throughout the game. There are a wide range of events, different tracks, cars and scenery. The views are generally realistic and each race has good presentation. This makes the game enjoyable.

The drivers names, vehicles and numbers appear when the race loads, there is information about the tracks. Also the graphics include lap times, and drivers split difference which shows how fast you are ahead or behind the field.As you are racing, there is the track map which displays and updates where your car is on the track, and is helpful in knowing where your opponents and also in looking for where the next turn or corner is at.

It is easy to see the good detail of the buildings, the sun reflections, cloudy or sunny skies, the car windows where the drivers are siting. The motion of the backgrounds is very smooth.In short, I feel that the graphics are excellent because the cars look like they should. The design of the cars appear well designed.

Game PlayThe game play is exciting and engaging. It is a combination of full throttle acceleration combined with skillful driving. There is the option to keep or remove the racing line which helps the player to see the best racing line as well as the acceleration and breaking points.From a driving simulation perspective the driving action itself is excellent.

People can buy different cars to participate in different races. There are new and used car dealerships. When selecting a car you get to see the specifications, car profile, price and performance rating.For some races you have to have the correct category of car to enter the race which adds an extra dimension to this game. I would say that 70 or 80% of the game focuses largely on driving, but the rest of the focus is on buying and enhancing the performance of the car.

To increase your own driving level you have to participate in races, licence exams and special events.The only thing I did not like about the game play is the rolling start to races which I think spoils the game a little bit. Starting a race mid-field to last is a bad aspect of the game in my opinion.

An important aspect of the game play is indeed tuning a car from the tuning shop, which aims to improve the performance and speed of the car. Players can improve the body chassis, tune up the engine, install high performance exhausts, buy a turbo kit supercharger,and increased transmission systems. The range of options is quite extensive, and this also adds up the cost of spending your own virtual credit cash. Win races and get placed in events will see your credits rise, but fine tuning your car will cost you. Tyre choice is also very important when racing as you can have the wrong set of tyres whilst racing, and this can lead to over or understeering action of your car which will affect your lap time.Most races tend to be either 2 or 3 laps each race with varied lap times depending on circuit, car selection and your own driving skill.

Generally speaking if you have the best car it is quite easy to win. I have noticed that the computer racing opponents tend to drive cautiously and they follow the racing line. Having said this, it is quite easy to follow there slipstream which makes over taking appear quite easy.Another part of the game play I have noted, is that when chasing the leader you can go faster than if you are leading the field. When racing on a bumpy road, the controller starts to vibrate, or when braking heavily or even when crashing into a barrier.

The only unrealistic part of this game is that when bumping into a barrier or crashing, the cars are allowed to continue racing, seemingly unscathed and without damage. This level of detail fails to recognize car damage and reduces the realismWhen you win A spec races, you get prized car which is your to use for different races or you can sell the car for extra virtual credits. The garage shows what cars you have and players can pick and choose these to race.

Sound/MusicI do not really rate the music generally speaking. Having said that, I do like the sound of the engine, and the tyres screeching and when changing gears. There is a smooth and easy listening music when navigating through the main menus.Finally when confirming options at the menu area, there is a beeping sound and also a banging noise upon impact.My OpinionI really like this game because of the good quality graphics and challenging race tracks. After a week of playing this game, every day I have so far completed around 20% of the game. The number of races and tracks adds to the longevity and enjoyment of the game.

As a conclusion I can easily see myself completing the game and playing this game beyond that. There are so many cars to pick from, it will take a long time to get bored of this game.An approximate price of £20-30 brand new is value for money. Overall as a driving game this is an excellent choice.

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its an good game

Gran turismo is an very good game which i think is better that forza Motorsport 4 and even forza motorsport 4 is good, it is an very good racing simulator which can be enjoyed very easily, it is pack with loads cars which are use for campaign mode where you race in races to earn credits to improve you're car and to purchase cars, i think the campaign is better than the online mode which i think is very good, the cars are very fun too use,

The game has an variety of racing tracks which are used to race in campaign, you can play in arcade mode which is used to play you're friends the game is very good if you are into racing games and Motorsport i really recommend this game to people who are looking for a really decent racing game to purchase the online mode is good as well as the campaign mode but the campaign is better, gran turismo is an very good game

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Well worth the long wait for the game

This game took an age to be released! It came out over a year later than first thought, but my gosh was it worth the wait! the game has really taken racing games on the ps3 to the next level! the graphics are incredible and completely better than any other game on the market. You can tell that so much effort has gone into the game to get the graphics just right and make sure everything you see on the screen during races and general game play is perfect! I have been addicted to this game for over a year now, and I hope they release a new one in the future because Gran Turismo games have always been the best on any platform. I will now go into more detail on the product and give my views!

Price:

I was luckily given this as a birthday present not long after is was released. When it first came out it was £45, now you can pick it up for under £30. its well worth paying for, If you shop around online you can probably get it much cheaper, and pre-owned versions on ebay are very cheap. Shop around :)

Features:

The game has gone back to the older style of having different levels you must master from beginer to expert to higher! It means that when you first start you will win every race, but it doesnt take long for it to get harder. Its great because you actually have to have skill and put work into your car to make it competitive, you have to change little things that will help shave time off your laps. Its not hard to master either! I find the graphics during the race is great and the cars are stunning to look at. There is also another huge selection of cars from the classics to brand new super cars. Its a great feeling when you save up your race win money and can buy a brand new car. You can also buy used cars.

The liscenses are hard to get and take time. you will spend hours trying to pass some levels, but its fun and adds to the challenge of the game. Once you have got all of your liscenses you can do all of the races when you unlock them.

This game allows you to go up levels, and you have to be a certain level to unlock certain races, you can get up to level 40, but each level you go up, the harder it is to get onto the next one. You can either race in B spec of A spec. Both you only earn points for the mode you choose. (A spec is when you drive the car and B spec is when the computer drives, but your in control of how they race).

Online is also brilliant and you can race against up to 16 other players. It takes online racing to the next level and believe me you will become addicted to it! You can also play two player split screen with a mate in the arcade section like in previous games.

--- overall ---

This game is brilliant and has so many new features, it takes a long time to complete and you get your monies worth with this. if you enjoy any form of racing, then you will enjoy this and if you havent already, go and buy it!!

Thanks for reading, I will be giving this a 5 star rating!

Josh

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Amazing Game For Young Driving Enthusiasts

GT5 is definitely my favourite game of all time. In consists of over 1000 cars in over 20 locations and over 100 tracks. You get A-spec mode and B-spec. In A-spec mode, you can race against computers and earn money and points. Unlike GT4, you get levels. The maximum level you can get to is 40, and it does take quite a while to get there. You get two levels, your A-spec and B-spec. B-spec mode is where you hire a driver and tell them what to do; overtake, pit in, increase pace, maintain pace, and decrease pace. You also receive money and points towards level 40 in B-spec.

There are a wide range of cars available. Standard cars are cars taken from GT4 and are of less quality than the premium cars. They do have an interior view, but it is a silhouette. Premium cars are much better quality graphic wise. They also have a proper interior view like an actual car.

Driving in this game gives you a real sense of actually driving. It is really fun and enjoyable and I would recommend it to any young driving enthusiast.

Apart from racing, you can also get licenses and special events. Special events are things like driving around the Top Gear Track in a VW Samba Bus against 11 other computer drivers in the same vehicle.

Overall, this game is not only fun, but gives you quite a challenge sometimes. It is definitely best when you play it with the Logitech GT5 Steering Wheel.

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The best car game i've played.

Graphics -

This is known to be one of the best games of all time for graphics, the details on the cars and tracks are amazing, and there are no glitches that I have found in any of them.The different views you can have in the car along with the brilliant realistic graphics make it feel like you're actually driving for real.

Arcade Mode -

Single Race - One standard race as to where you can choose how many laps, the weather, the cars etc.Time Trial - This is where you are able to set a time with your best lap and try and beat it with every lap you complete. You are able to choose any car on any of the tracks available for this. Drift trial - The test in this is how far you can drift the car on any of the tracks available.Split Screen - Play against your friends with the 2p split screen

GT Mode -

Where you are able to start your career and are able to race other people online with the cars you have purchased and modified.

Online - This has a wide selection of races available as to where your modified car can be put up against other cars that have been done up by other players, You are also able to trade cars online with other players.

Special events - These are events you can play to earn cash and are good fun to play, here is a list of them all -GT Karting experienceNascar SchoolTop Gear Test TrackAMG Driving academyGT RallyGrand TourSeb Loeb's Rally ChallengeEach of these events get unlocked as you go through your career, the higher the level, the more you can play and the more cash you are able to play for.

A spec - Go through different races with different types of cars to complete each section and get a reward for doing it. Here are the sections -Beginner/Amateur/Pro/Expert/ExtremeThese all have a selection of races and one big race (usually best of 5 races) to finish that series.You will have to buy all kinds of cars to play the different races from beetles to Ferrari's.

B Spec - This is where you are able to create a driver and manage his career, it is similar to a spec in the fact that has all the same races and levels and cash to buy cars with etc. However you are not the one driving the car you only manage the driver and can tell him what to do at a certain stage of any race. For example if he is way ahead in a race you are able to tell him to slow down and play it safe to reduce the risk of crashing, however if he is behind the field coming towards the end of a race you are able to tell him to speed up and do all he can to overtake. The challenges get harder as you go through the different series and you have to time your moves correct in the later stages if you are going to win in the harder races.

Cars

There are more cars available in this game than any other racing game and the detail in each of them is incredible, you can get cars like go karts all the way to cars like the zonda. There are 51 car makes to choose from and a selection of cars in each one.

Another good addition to GT5 is the used car dealership, this makes it easy to find a half decent used car if you do not have much money in the career, it is also good if you need a certain type of car for a race in a series because you can get it cheap and will generally only use it for one race.

Licences

There are 6 different licences to achieve on the game and each of them has a harder challenge to complete. The licences are - B/A/IC/IB/IA/SThere are a selection of challenges you must complete in each one to be able to pass it, each of them have a certain limited time or distance as to where you can get gold, silver or bronze medals to pass, all you need is to get a bronze on each to pass however if you get silver or gold you will unlock better cars at the end of them.Some examples of the challenges are - Stopping challenge, Steering, Braking into corner, overtaking, slalom etc.

Tracks

Just like the cars there are many tracks to choose from in the game than any other. I think that a very good edition is the Top Gear test track to the game; this is now one of the most popular tracks in the UK and has been made famous by the TV show.

They have original tracks like deep forest raceway and trial mountain circuit etc.They have world tracks like Daytona, Monza, Laguna Seca etc.They have city tracks like Rome circuit, special stage route 5 etc. They have snow/dirt tracks like Chamonix, Eiger Nordwand etc.

Overall

Overall I feel this is one of the best car games I have ever played with incredible detail, great range of cars and great online play.

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Gran Turismo 5 delivers in ways than no other racing game can

Having played every single Gran Turismo to death and gaining huge amounts of enjoyment out of them, by the time the PS3 was released I was ready and raring for a new instalment. We were given a teaser with Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, but a series of a delays meant that it was a further two and a half years before the finished product was released.

On release day the game plopped through my letterbox, I rushed upstairs in anticipation and sat down ready to spend the day playing the latest instalment of my favourite gaming franchise of all time.

Unfortunately, the massive install time, followed by the secondary 'recommended' install meant that it was nearly three hours before I actually got to play it. But hey, I'd waited many years for this game, a couple more hours couldn't hurt.

It was worth waiting for.

After taking a short while to figure out how to navigate the menu system - which has never been the slickest operation in Gran Turismo - I headed straight for the dealership to ogle the 1000+ cars available in the game. However, only the 'Premium' cars are shown in the dealership, meaning that it only took half an hour or so to look through them, which I'll admit was slightly disappointing. The rest of the games cars are either secret, or are located in the used car dealership, which is a random selection of 30 cars that changes every time you do a race.

After much deliberation I purchased my first car and headed out onto the track. Oh my God. The graphics - especially when viewed in 1080p - are unbelievable. The circuit detail, the lighting, the car detail, everything is crisp, clear and streets ahead of any other racing game available to date - but only with the Premium cars. The Standard car models look nothing more than ports of the models used in Gran Turismo 4, and some look like you're still using a PS2.

The driving physics have changed slightly from previous versions and it took a while to get used to, but it's still typically Gran Turismo. That means getting your braking right and not going on the power too early. It's hugely rewarding, although I was slightly disappointed with the ABS feature. I wanted to turn it off, but simply touching the brakes caused them lock instantly and made the car almost undriveable, so I've had to begrudgingly leave it on, albeit on its lowest setting. If you have a wheel however, this won't be a problem.

One aspect of the driving I was hugely impressed by is the tyre wear. As the tyres wear down you feel the car begin to squirm around slightly more, it's harder to turn in as aggressively, harder to put the power down and the car gradually becomes looser. Lap times go down slowly and you know when the right time to pit is, because you can feel it. In previous games, the car would be fine until the tyres went 'red' on the graphic, and it would then become instantly undriveable.

One thing the Gran Turismo series has always been brilliant at is replay value - there's always something more to do, a car you're trying to save up for, a race you're trying to win, a licence test you're trying to get gold on. Gran Turismo 5 is no different, but there are drawbacks.

The licence tests (which are no longer compulsory) definitely feel easier than before. In the first couple of weeks of playing, I'd already got gold in them all, as well as in most of the special events. The race events as well are noticeably shorter. In previous games a race series would usually consist of between 3-5 races, with 10 races for some of the harder series. In GT5 many series feature just 1 or 2 races, and even the longer championships feature no more than six races. This is a huge disappointment, as with 9 events per tier and just five tiers (not including the endurance races) I found I was progressing through the game rather quicker than I liked and was worried that I would complete the game easily.

I needn't have worried. Gran Turismo 5 features a new 'level' system, which you progress through by gaining experience (EXP). The more races you win, the better you do in licences etc, the faster you level up. Once you get to level 25 or so, levelling up become increasingly more difficult. With quite a small number of races you find yourself having to repeatedly do the same races, the same championships over and over again. This can become tiresome, and I know many people who have got to this stage and stopped playing.

Earning money is just as hard. Prize cars earned from winning events can only be won once, and expensive ones can't be sold for any credits. In previous games, certain championships would yield expensive cars you could sell, and earning a million credits only took an hour or so. Earning a million credits in GT5 takes dozens of races and hours of playing, and trying to obtain the many cars which cost over 10 million credits is going to take months out of your life.

Polyphony Digital have tried to rectify these issues with the weekly introduction of one off high yield 'seasonal events' which has helped somewhat, but it's still a hugely difficult game to progress through in the later stages.

The B-Spec events from Gran Turismo 4 are back, where you don't actually drive your car, but let an AI driver take over whilst you give it instructions. This time however it's been seperated from the A-Spec mode - no longer can you complete all the endurance races by letting your B-Spec driver do them all, you have to do them yourself AND with the B-Spec driver if you want to complete the game. It's a nice addition and pads out the game a bit, as well as being quite tough and frustrating. The concept of a racing game where you don't actually drive the car is a little strange however, and no doubt some people won't even want to bother with this portion of the game.

Having a good online mode is critical for games these days, and Gran Turismo 5 has done alright for a first attempt. The lobby is clunky to navigate and, annoyingly, there's no invite system, but once you're up and racing against people from all over the world it's thoroughly enjoyable. On the whole gamers are fair and racing is often close, though obviously there are one or two people out there to spoil it for everyone. A nifty feature is being able to save replays of online races ready to show off to your friends!

Other features of the game include a 'Photo Travel' mode, where you can take your favourite car into one of a variety of locations and snap away. Get the angle right, get the lighting right and crank up the resolution and some of the images are as close as dammit to photo realistic. It also gives you a chance to examine the years of hard work of detailing in the cars that delayed this game so much, it's breathtaking.

A new 'Course Maker' mode is a slight disappointment - you don't design it in its entirety, merely input a set of parameters which then randomly generates a layout based on them. Some of the designs can be quite good however, and you can race on them online if you have a particularly fiendish track you want to catch people out with.

CONS: A little bit easy and a little bit long, lacks a little bit of the 'fun factor' evident in earlier Gran Turismo games, possibly hard to get into if you're not familiar with Gran Turismo, still feels somewhat unfinished (though regular patches are rounding off the edges).

Overall: 9.5/10

Some people say that Gran Turismo is more of a museum than a racer, and given the number of useless cars there are you'd say they have point. It may not be as fast or as furious as some of the other racing games around, but this is a long term game and it's one that you'll probably still be playing long after you've finished with the others. It's not perfect, and to fully enjoy the game you really need a steering wheel.

Gran Turismo 5 delivers in ways than no other game can, and unless you've played it, it's hard to explain why.

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A sensational game that all PS3 owners (even if you don't like cars) should buy!

When I first inserted this game and let it install (which does eventually take 8GB of space on your HDD), I honestly wondered if the game was someone videoing the actual cars. This is seriously a game of pure beauty, hard work and craftmanship! It has been in development for nearly 4 years however!

Each track is meticulously detailed with many man-hours having been spent coding and getting every last inch of the track scaled right. You have everything from the Top Gear test track to the Nurberg Ring!

There are over 1000 cars in the game! I was totally gobsmacked when I heard about this and they really have extended the blu-ray format to its limits! They have been split into standard and premium cars (the premium cars having in-car details and better graphics around them). There are some strange choices however, since a fiat 500 is considered a premium car, whereas a Bugatti Veyron is a standard one!!!!

There is so much content in this game, that it really should be double the price of what it is! You get a ton of tracks, cars, test driving, customisation and many other options that I've probably not even discovered yet! The main game is split into A-spec and B-spec modes, basically the difference being is that one you drive and the other you don't drive, but direct an AI drive round the track!

Multiplayer options allow you to play splitscreen multiplayer offline and then 16 player online races!

While the developers are constantly patching the game, a new feature they have added is being able to control your B-space career anywhere in the world (as long as your PS3 is switched on) and linking multiple PS3s together to make a massive 3 screen display!!!!! There is even a playstation eye option included, so it can track your head motion and show that inside the cars! PSPs are also included, with the option to import your cars from Gran Turisomo PSP into Gran Turismo 5!

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Some people may find it disappointing, but most will adore it.

After a painful six years of waiting, Gran Turismo 5 is finally here. So, we can put GT4 back into its case and leave our PS2 to gather dust again. There was one question on everyone's mind: would it be a huge success, or be a disappointment? Of course, it would almost certainly be a disappointment to some - many expected it to be perfect. No, it isn't perfect but very good, featuring 1,000 cars, over twenty courses and an online mode. As long as you didn't expect TOO much from it, you will love GT5.

Wow. Six years of waiting and you finally get your hands on the game. You insert the GT5 disc into your PS3. Unfortunately, a screen comes up asking you to install the game. 'Six years of waiting, and they expect me to do an install?!' Then, you discover that it's a 40-minute install. And if you don't own a Slimline PS3 but a 'fat' one, things are made worse when you find out that the game takes up ten gigabytes. Don't worry too much, though. If you don't have the patience to wait that long, though, you can go straight to the game. Beware - expect long loading times if you take this option.

Afterwards, you are shown a short movie, which puts you into the Gran Turismo mood. The production of a car is shown, with a fast piano piece playing along with it. It is quite interesting to see this. Then, the car is shown racing across a track and the music changes to 'Planetary' by My Chemical Romance. It's a fantastic start to the game (putting aside the big installation!).

There are two main modes in Gran Turismo 5: A-Spec and B-Spec. First of all, I'll talk about A-Spec. This is where YOU drive. There are six difficulties: beginner, amateur, professional, expert, extreme and endurance. Obviously, races are beginner mode are fairly easy but as you use the higher difficulties, the game gets tougher. There are nine events in each difficulty. In each event, there are several races. In some events, certain cars are restricted (for example, in some events you can only use a car with an FR drivetrain) but sometimes you can use any car. There is now a level system, which is new to the series. You gain XP for each race and when you gain so much XP, you go up to the next level. You need to be a certain level to access higher difficulties, purchase powerful cars and race in special events.

Of course, the racing itself is the most important part of the game, though. The first four Gran Turismo games were fantastic because they were realistic, and the fifth game in the series is the same. The physics are extremely realistic. You will have much more focus over a Ford Mondeo than a Formula One vehicle. There are many views that you can go into - front of the car, behind the car, bonnet or cockpit view. There is one big drawback to the racing, however - the AI (artificial intelligence). If you get into pole position but an opponent catches up to you, they will crash into the back of your car just so they can get ahead. This can be frustrating at times. Despite this, the racing itself is excellent overall.

B-Spec is for lazy people. To sum it up - you are the manager of a racer. In a race, you don't do anything, but you simply watch your driver race around a track. You tell them whether to decrease, maintain or increase pace. It's a good way of getting credits to purchase cars. It can be a bit boring, but you can go and make yourself a sandwich or watch telly while you wait for a race to finish! The level system and difficulties are the same here as in A-Spec.

You can find A-Spec and B-Spec in GT Mode. You can do plenty more there. Here are some of the other things you can do.

You can look at the cars for sale from the dealership, used car dealership or online collector's dealership. The main dealership allows you to buy hundreds of unused cars, from a Renault Clio to Bugatti Veyron. However, not all of the cars in the game are shown here. In the used car dealership, you can buy used cars. Some of these can't be found in the main dealership. Finally, there's the online collector's dealership. This allows you to buy rare cars, which can be used or new.

There's the Special Events section, which is a highlight of the game. There's loads to do here. You can join the Gran Turismo Karting School, drive in NASCAR races, learn how to drive a rally car in the Sebastian Loeb WRC Special Event and more. It makes the gameplay a bit more varied. Hopefully, these features will be included in Gran Turismo 6.

Licences return and they are just as frustrating as ever. There are several ranks. There are about ten challenges in each rank. In the first rank, the challenges are quite easy and you are taught the quickest way to turn a corner, and more. As you get higher up the ranks, the challenges become much harder.

There's much more you can do in GT Mode - you can upgrade your car in the tuning shop, gain some extra money in Seasonal Events or take some pics of your car in Photo Travel and more!

If you fancy taking a break from the excellent GT Mode, there's always Arcade Mode. There's not very much to do here, but can be fun. You can drive in standard races, or take part in drift trials or time attacks. There's also 2-player here. No XP or money is awarded but good when playing with a friend.

I quite liked the Track Creator, despite its simplicity. You choose how long it is, how wide the road is, how sharp the corners are and what the terrain is like. You can create some cool courses. When finished creating one, you can test it and send it to friends. There was an update recently, which allowed you to race on created courses online, too. It's not very comprehensive but worth taking a look at.

Finally, onto the long-awaited online mode. It was a disaster at first because so many people were trying to get online, meaning there were connection problems. Luckily, its been fixed with an update and is now fine. There are two modes online: free run and race. In free run, you drive around a track doing what you like. This is best when played with friends. In a race, you obviously race against others on a track, trying to get to the finish first. For this, you can earn XP and money. Overall, the online mode isn't groundbreaking but a very good part of the game.

It's not the flawless game some of us thought it would be, but Gran Turismo 5 is fantastic. It's the biggest game in the series yet - 1,000 cars, over twenty cars, online mode and special events featuring karting, NASCAR and more. The physics are very realistic like the other games in the series. The graphics are great and the sound is superb - the cars sound like they do in real life. It can possibly even last you about 100 hours! GT5 is possibly the best racing game on any console. The drawbacks? The only drawback (besides AI) I can think of is that now we will probably have to wait years and years for GT6!

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A good game, but isn't what it promised to be.

Well after playing Forza 3 on the Xbox 360 for a long time, i decided to borrow GT5 from a friend who owned it. One of my friends said it was an excellent game, the best racing simulator ever. The other said it was basically Forza but with poorer damage effects.

I'll split the review into different sections, each with ratings, you can just look at the ratings, or if you want an in-depth review, you can read the whole thing.

GRAPHICS:

FORZA: 9/10GT5: 8/10

Now the graphics were meant to be a large part of GT5, with great praise on how good the cars looked, but honestly, they look worse than Forza's, the detail on the Standard cars is poor, better than GT4 like some have said, but not up to par for a PS3/360 game. The detailing on the Premium cars, however, is slightly better than Forza's. GT5 also features headlights, night racing, windscreen wipers, although i haven't found a use for windscreen wipers yet, if there are any rainy races, they are VERY few and far between. Detailing on the track, Forza wins the beauty contest, GT5 features more detail on objects such as trees, but the landscapes are bland, they could have done with adding more trackside objects. Considering GT5 is over a year newer and is on a more powerful console, it should have won the graphics side of things. As it is, it's basically on a par with Forza. Premium cars feature interiors on GT5, but standard cars do not, on Forza, all 500+ cars feature detailed interiors.

GAMEPLAY (Driving):

Forza: 9/10GT5: 7/10

Now i really didn't like the driving on GT5, the responsive cars are far too responsive, you can swerve across the track at 90MPH in an FF car without the threat of losing control, even without TCS on. And a car such as a fully tuned Mercedes is impossible to avoid wheelspin with. GT5 features some nice extras such as headlights, windscreen wipers (which are fun to play around with) and a car horn, although this is only useful in online racing I imagine. I have not tried the online part of the game yet, as my PS3 has no internet at the moment. For offline multiplayer racing, Forza also wins, as it allows 2 players and 2 AI to race, whereas GT5 features no AI in offline multiplayer, and is a straight 1vs1 race, also it features less customizable options than Forza does in races.

CONTENT:

Forza: 8/10GT5: 9/10

This is an area where GT5 excels, although detailing on the cars is ultimately lower than Forza's, it does feature over 1,000 cars, whereas Forza only features around 520 at the moment, due to 100 extra being added as DLC. I'm sure GT5 will get some DLC soon. GT5 does feature a lower amount of tracks than Forza however, but still enough to keep the game from getting dry and boring. There are less game modes than Forza in the online side of things, as Forza has sections for Tag racing, Drag racing and others. GT5 features a course editor, which although IMO is quite bad, it does open up the option to create average tracks at will, although the bland landscape is even more noticeable in these tracks.

SOUND:

Forza: 8/10GT5: 9/10

GT5 also has impressive sound, although both games have very nice engine sounds, GT5 sounds more realistic, when you fully tune a Honda Civic, and get it up to high revs, it sounds just like a boy-racer car. GT5 also has a much larger soundtrack, although most of them aren't to my taste, it does have almost 200 songs, Forza only has about 30 or so.

MENUS:

Forza 9/10GT5: 8/10

Not really an area most consider in a review, but i thought i might as well as it was something that struck me when i started the game. Forza has a very simple menu system, that its used since Forza 1, it works well, and is very clearly shown on the screen. GT5 however flummoxed me a little on the startup, the menu buttons are all very higgeldypiggeldy(?), although they are labelled, i felt it would have been better to have them in a list rather than in the way they were. I had less trouble with GT4 and that weird world map it had. It also has to load each time you enter a new section of the game, only a couple of seconds each time, but still. For example, on the startup career page, there is about 15 buttons to press.

MULTIPLAYER:

Forza: 9/10GT5: UNKNOWN

Unfortunately i wasn't able to review Multiplayer as i have no internet connection at the moment. But I'll review the offline multiplayer instead.

Forza's split-screen mode allows 2 humans and up to 2 additional AI drivers to compete in a race. They can select any track they want, and any car from Player 1's garage, or any stock car from the manufacturer. They can select how many laps to race, what class car everyone should be driving, AI difficulty, and a few others, such as driving assists for both players. GT5 allows the users to drive on any track, even those made in the course maker, it supports 2 humans and no AI, they can select a limited number of cars from the manufacturers, as a large deal of the 1,000 cars in GT5 are actually used cars, i would say about 200-300 cars can be used in split-screen, Player's can also use a car from Player 1's garage if it has been added to the favourites list by the player. Options are fairly limited. Forza's online mode offers more variety, it supports up to 6 AI in an online race, 2 humans and AI filling the other slots, any combination of humans and AI can be used. Additional options are team racing, tag racing, drag racing, forcing all players to use stock cars, numbers of laps, AI difficulty, set power of all racer's cars, and a lot of other options. You cannot host a public custom race however, it works in a similar manner to CoD, where you select your game mode and it'll put you in a game with similarly skilled racers, only private races between friends have customizable options.

END OF REVIEW FOR NOW.

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A certain must!Just not perfect,as some said

This is a game a had been waiting for anxiously.Months and years of delays for a simple racing simulator like Forza? Well most people presented GranTurismo5 as a perfect game,a revolution.So i though ''Why not try Collectors' Editon''.I bought it for just 5 euro more than the simple one.And boy is it worth its money!I Along with the game,you get 5 extra cars,an exclusive theme,some in-game images and Apex,a small magazine about cars.Well,small in size,because this little manual contains every bit of information someone would like to know.In short,it contains information about how car parts work,how to adjust suspensions and stuff,new car technologies etc,but all these presented with great attention to detail.So conclusion number 1:Collectors Edition is certainly worth 5 euros more.This edition gives Signature Edition a run for its money in my opinion.Moving on to the game itself now.The first improvment in this new GT is menus.I had no problems with GT4 menus,but this menu seems more solid,contemporary and nice overall.The first mode i played was Arcade.And it was kind of dissapointing really.You get some nice cars to race with,but race options are poor.What happened to that scale which determined how fast rivals were?For some,it may not be important,but in GT4,this was one feauture i really liked.And it is gone.After a quick lap,i moved one to GT TV.What a wonderful surprise! In this mode,you can download videos which have to do about cars.Either about Formula 1,or DTM,or Super GT or much more.Real videos,not game videos.A nice gadget if you ask me.If they can add live streaming in,this mode will come even more close to being perfect.Next up,i visited settings so as to adjust some stuff.Lower the menu music,maximize car effect sounds,adjust screen ration,network settings and done.Time has come for the most critical mode of all:GT Mode.This is where you will spent 80% of the game.The first thing you notice is simplified menus.The old,retro,map styled menu is gone and its succesor is a well organized menu,much more modern.My first choice was Licences of course.Too bad they haven't changed at all.They remain the way they were back in GT4.Of course they are still nice,but it is hight time they updated them i think.After finishing the first 2 licences-which were quite easy-time for some real action.Buy a car and start racing!I first visited the used dealership.Organised,inclusive,lots of bargain cars but i didn't buy a used car.The reason? Standard! Standard cars feel nasty.Where is that detail everyone expected?Where are those crystal images,the attention to detail? All i see is GT4 cars transferred here! I left this dealership quite frustrated and went on to normal dealerships.Things got quite a lot better here.Those cars we saw in pictures before the game arrived,they must be true! Premium cars are wonderful! There is no racing game in which cars have been gives such attention to detail.Every last bit of them is a miracle.You feel like you could touch them.And their interior,it is really well desinged.Attention to detail is phenomenal and evertyhing feels real.Too bad the camera is a bit to high for my taste.I'd like to be able to see some more bits of the car's interior.But anyway,premium cars should be the only cars to exist in the game.Standard cars just mar this almost perfect icon shaped.But let's not stick to that.There is some racing to do! A-Spec mode is now more solid and races better organised.Variety is good and everyone will remain pleased.Despite some awkard mistakes.I can take part in a so called ''Compact Car Race'' with my 500bhp BMW M5.Now that's compact!Up to now,conclusion numer 2: The game is really improved and feels better even without having actually driven the cars,but it certainly is not perfect.Time to race and yes,this is revolution.The way cars behave is awesome.You can feel the difference between a Toyota Yaris and a Nissan GT-R,you can feel the difference between oversteer and understeer,you can feel the suspension working,forces applied to the car.Maybe i am exaggerating,but this is what i feel! If premium cars are a miracle,then this is as good.At last,you can drift the car properly,and the game is a simulator.Better than Forza 3 in this section.On to B-Spec mode now.Improved,not finished.I receive a huge amount of complicated data to look at(well done for this one) but i can't order my driver to make a pit stop! Why? And,A.I is not that good.Improved in A-Spec mode-yet not perfect- and in B-Spec,a bit crap.B-Spec mode can be improved a lot,in short.About Special,events,they are a nice addition and again you feel the attention to detail,but some are way to difficult.And some races are way to difficult.One nice addition is car tuning.Not mechanical parts,but visually.There are some choices but limited.Anyway,it is nice to see that a tuning mode is starting to be developped.Let's not talk about mechanical tuning.It is,as fans know,really thorough and now it affects the car more than ever.If you are a petrolhead,you will certainly love this.Other stuff? Yes.Car variety is big,garage improved,photo mode stunning,online play nice.Damage mode? Unacceptable.Just act like there isn't one.It had been an addition the last moment and you can feel that.Final Conclusion: A great game,surely best in its class,but let's not exaggerate.D

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A fine addition to the racing genre and well worth the wait in development.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Tested and reviewed on the PS3Review by Ben Nacca

GT: Darkeyes2k7PSID: Darkeyes2k11

Many games are hard pushed to meet deadlines these days, with publishers and developers alike changing the release date to suit fiscal quarters, to improve game mechanics and visuals and so on. However, Gran Turismo 5 is one that takes the cake, with it being delayed and delayed, so much so that the developers, Polyphony Digital released a "Prologue" version. At long last, it has hit the shelves though and marks a great time to be an owner of a Playstation 3.So Sony's flagship racer returns after years in a development slumber and what are it's impressions? With this instalment utilizing the new technology, noticeably HD visuals, Blu-Ray disc capacity and the Playstation Network, Gran Turismo 5 sets to become the racing champion that it once was.

For those unaware with the series, Gran Turismo is a racing simulator, similar to Microsoft's Forza franchise for the Xbox. It offers hundreds of licensed cars, various tracks with varying environments and the simulation of damage, tyre wear and fuel as the usual. Gran Turismo 5 has taken a step up; with 1,031 cars, 71 different tracks and an expansive career mode, track creator and online multiplayer, Polyphony Digital are clearly trying to set the standard for racing games.Similar to Forza 3 on the Xbox 360, Gran Turismo offers you the choice to install content from the disc onto your PS3 Hard drive. This is around 8gb of data that will help the game run smoother and load faster, saving it time reading directly from the disc. This wouldn't be so bad if the loading times were reasonable after this. The 30mins installation makes the loading of Gran Turismo fast, or faster, since I would hate to imagine what it would be like without the install. These are not unbearable waiting times between races and the general experience is pretty smooth but there is the slow menu reactions and occasional longer than usual loading time but for what it loads, most can be forgiving of it.

There is something that really springs to mind when I was playing Gran Turismo 5 and that is practically flawless. Sure there are the loading issues at times but the visuals set a standard far above what I presumed was capable from a PS3 and is well detailed throughout. The crowd, the stands, the water, grass and so on is so incredibly animated and detailed that this acts as further eye candy if you dare wander your gaze from your sports car that your hurtling down a track at 200mph. Dust and debris is thrown back as you drive and the night time driving is also sublime, with the headlight feature a nice addition.It clearly stands as any car fanatics dream game, those who are fans of the UK show Top Gear or other shows to its ilk we be utterly submerged by its in depth career mode. I was at first dubious. The GT Homepage looks like some hybrid child of Facebook and Myspace, with cars and tracks all over it. Instead, it acts as a clever tool to get you into races as quick as possible. From driving yourself in the A-Spec championships to being the manager, almost, and aiding your drivers to victory in the B-Spec Championships, there is plenty to do from the homepage.

Each type of champsionship has its own levels of difficulty with tracks and tounements within them and as mentioned above, both are completely different from each other. One you drive, one you shout commands to your driver. The level progression and credit system works very well so you can spend all your hard earned cash at a used dealership or splash the cash on a brand new car if your feel really burdened by the weight in your pockets. It is just another immersive experience that is polish on Gran Turismo 5's bonnet.So it looks nice, but so does my girlfriend. The real question is how does it handle? A driving game that has horrible responses is just going to end up in the bargain bin. Fact.

Thankfully, Gran Turismo 5 also sports some rather lovely controls, which can also be mapped freely to any button you wish. I personally changed mine. After racing using the Right Trigger on the Xbox for so long, using the Playstation's "X" button just didn't feel right to me. That is the beauty of it. Freedom to make it yours, to customize it and play around with what suits you best. On the track, the racing line will help the novices stay on the track and help them learn when to brake and accelerate akin to the racing line on Forza 3. Obviously, experienced players can turn that off if they wish or set it to brake only mode so again, rather useful feature to have and one that doesn't scare off the more casual racing fans.As a simulator, this is no Need for Speed. That is no swipe at that franchise, just purely of a different class entirely. These are realistic races, which accounts for various variables such as weather for instance, and you have to adapt. You can run out of fuel on longer races, you can have tyre wear and colliding with other cars can have serious consequences.

Everything from the car roar to the fans applause as your cross the line, no mistake that the audio has been well looked after. With realistic sounds, varying across vehicles and the track reacting to that as well, the sound is icing on cake for Gran Turismo 5 and compliments it beautifully.There is no doubt that Gran Turismo feels rewarding though. With wins and participating in races, you are constantly being rewarded vehicles, credits, experience, extra unlockables and other stuff that can be used for your cars, for boasting or to show all your mates when they see your GT homepage.

Trophies for the PS3? Well this is a consuming list. One that will take a long time to do as it requires all the races to be completed, all arcade modes to be completed, certain races finished or car purchased etc. The list is exhaustive and can either be a dream for the car fans out there or a nightmare for those who just want to get another platinum trophy to their ID. However, trying everything in Gran Turismo will let you collect a vast majority of them along the way.Visuals100/100A fine return for the series, basking the PS3 owners with a delightful visual presentation of the world's best motors on the tracks. A sublime and detailed game that is clearly polished well beyond anything out there at the moment.

Audio95/100With the sound being so impressive, I wasn't sure if my speakers were going to melt with delight. If you're a motor fan, then revving the engine of a Ferrari or Porsche will probably sound like you're in 7th heaven, and with such expansive music tracks to suit the menu, you will never find that awkward silence in the game.Gameplay95/100Responsive? Check. Challenging? Check. Variety? Check. Gran Turismo frankly covers all angles and with them nailing the handling of the vehicles and plenty of features for new comers too, this checks all the boxes.

Delivery90/100Only bit that lets the game down really. Loading times and the initial 8gb set up but that is for the greater good so it is not all bad. It redeems itself with surprisingly good network gameplay too and the Facebook/Myspace GT Homepage works very nicely too.Achievements80/100The achievements, or trophies are a time consuming one, full of collection like trophies. Complete this, complete that, do this, win this, win that and so on. Standard but rewarding at the same time. Bit heavy on the people trying to get a platinum trophy though.

Summary92/100Over all, a fully deserving sequel to the great racing franchise. It has been a long time coming but finally there is a new racing title to challenge Forza 3 but with Forza 4 just round the corner, can the Xbox reply to Playstation's impressive racing game?

This guide is the property of Ben Nacca and is for the sole use of www.lanraiders.co.uk, www.dooyoo.co.uk and www.ciao.co.uk. No copying to other websites or other mediums without written permission first.

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Outstanding game, well worth the waiting time

Having recieved Gran Turismo 5 for christmas, I have to say it's probably one of the most enjoyable presents I have recieved as I'm currently addicted to playing through the campaign.

After an extremely long dragged out delay, kind of like waiting for a doctors appointment on a busy afternoon, Gran Turismo 5 was finally released much to my excitement. Although I did have my doubts at first whether it was going to be worth the 5 year wait I can now easily see why it has taken such a long time to produce this game.

Visual Aspect:

The graphical detail in HD is simply beautiful, the cars are perfected inside and out to give the game a highly realistic visual feel unique to Gran Turismo. I do recommend racing the vehicles using the interior view due to the almost physicaly realistic experience it contributes to the gameplay. Outside of the vehicles the scenery on some tracks can fairly often look quite bland, but it's of no visual detrement to the eyes.

Gameplay:

The central mode on the game is of course the career mode, or as it's called, "GT Mode". The layout is sleek and colourful accompanied by soothing jazzy music. The game still possesses the same basic element of progression which has been evident throughout the Gran Turismo series, but is completely revamped with addition of many new features such as Experience points and levels, and the ability to spectate a driver and co-ordinate him through the race. There is a much better, satisfying reward system in comparison with previous titles, there's a huge array of vehicles to be won, trophies to unlock and level progress to be made, which in turn will earn you the ability to purchase better cars with the corresponding level requirements.

In retrospect I would say it's probably the best racing game to be released in a long, long time. The soundtrack is a variation of genre's, the music while navigating the interface is usually a jazzy soundtrack or psychadelic rock, whereas the music while racing can be anything ranging from house/dance music to heavy rock. The graphics are stunning, especially on the vehicles and character models, and the graphical interface is easy to navigate while being visually interesting to view. The gameplay is fun and is easy to become consumed within for a couple of hours to kill some time, partially due to the addicting reward system. I highly recommend this game to any racing simuation game enthusiasts, or anyone who just wants to play casually.

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The best use of the PS3 so far

And you should believe this title. I bought my first PS3 five years ago especially for Gran Turismo 5. But was it worth the excruciating wait. Well, yes. Truly this is the a racing simulator to end the platform wars. This complete driving sim pulls from so many areas of motorsport to present a full, rich and beautiful game that provides hours of racing, sharing, managing and creating. Fantastic.

When GT5 prologue first hit the shelves every GT fan bought it, and like many I was disappointed, yes it was HD and looked glorious but it was a shallow title with little glimpses of brilliance.

The finished product was delayed and delayed all the while being hyped as the best console event ever.

Now that it is here it truly does deliver, you start with a little money and a choice of car dealerships (or used car lots) and from there your hooked. Racing is so convincing, especially when combined with a wheel like the G25 that it can get scary sometimes.

In A spec mode you are the driver. Earning licenses to race, taking on special challenges such as karting or Rally events, and working your way through a long career as you earn money for new cars and rewards for winning.

In B spec you manage a team of drivers as they advance their careers and earn you more experience and prizes.

On top of this the online play is great and getting better all the time, sharing race days with friends is easy and polyphony digital seem really keen to listen to their users this time and provide constantly updated online challenges and perks.

I so wanted GT5 to be everything I'd dreamed. It is and so much more. If you have a PS3 and are remotely interested in cars. you must own this game.

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One of the best racng games ever made (so far)

For anyone with even a limited experience of gaming, the Gran Turismo series needs no introduction. 5 years in the making and constantly delayed, the fifth instalment has definitely proved worth waiting for.

The game features over 70 track locations and an astounding number of cars that extends past a thousand. Every location is picturesque and every car has its own strengths and limits just like in real life. It isn't referred to as the real driving simulator for nothing.

The game features A-spec and B-spec modes - A-spec is where you drive yourself in a car of your choosing in various competitions, while in B-spec mode you train your own driver to do the same races. In other words, you are now the artificial intelligence and are able to control whether they should overtake, slow down or speed up. It's an extension of the mode that was in Gran Turismo 4, only as a separate entity. It won't be the main reason why people buy the game but can be worthwhile if you're looking for a challenge you don't usually get in other racing titles.

Special events are also included in the game; they range from challenging to unique to just downright bizarre. If you don't feel like doing a lap of the famous Nurgburgring in a car with terrible handling IN THE RAIN, then you can race a VW camper van around the Top Gear Test Track. A bit out of nowhere, but it is an example of how this series has kept things fresh over the years.

One thing that has remained constant throughout most of the series is the license tests. They are easy enough for newbies to grab bronze, but veteran racers have to use every last drip of intuition to get a gold medal - as well as a fair few hours with no food or sleep. The challenges range from laps of overtaking and cone slaloms to rally driving and some of the most difficult corners on the game.

Formula one enthusiasts will be pleased to note the inclusion of Monza and the Nurgburgring F1 circuit, as well as two Ferrari F1 models which are worth slaving through the game to drive. NASCAR racing is also introduced, as the game demonstrates that going round and round on an oval track isn't as straightforward as it looks. Nevertheless, the highlight of the game is not just with these, but experiencing the vast range of cars that can be driven and finding your favourite.

I've spoken to many people who criticise racing games for being boring and repetitive. I never found that with past GT games and neither do I here. There can be found no end of enjoyment to beating your best lap time in a race or winning by under 0.1 seconds. Sometimes it can be easy to be sidetracked into a daydream by the wonderful background visuals, which are even better if experienced in 3D - this game is capable and I would argue that buying a 3D television is worth it just for this game, because in my opinion no other game can beat it graphics-wise! Saying that, the physics are also impressive and the depth of the game is such that you're not just going to beat it in a week. The replay value is also highly appealing and I can't see why anyone would trade in such an accomplished game.

Finally, the game introduces online racing. This can be fun as it's a change from the AI of the game (which brings me to my only criticism: other cars can be a little predictable) and makes the game a socially interactive experience, but may also attract people who are very keen on using the pit manoeuvre on their opponents. If you don't know what that entails, you may soon find out. However, the online capabilities definitely add to GT5, as more races, events and cars are available to stretch the boundaries of what this game can give to you.

So overall, the developers deserve applause for making GT5 even better than past titles and making a game that's welcoming to newcomers without taking away the challenges it has always given to the better drivers. It's a game that can appeal to anyone as a result and even if you're not a racing fanatic, it should be in your collection. I've really said all I can, but you need to play the game in order to see what isn't possible to put into words. It's the best game of its genre ever made (it does beat Xbox 360's Forza 3) and will remain so until Gran Turismo 6. Drive safely!